Joanna Cherry 96


She will not thank me for saying it, but I have for some time been strongly of the view that Joanna Cherry is the leader that Scotland needs to take Scotland on its historic final step to regaining Independence. It is plain to me that the Establishment believes so too, and that is the reason for the massive hyping of the “bullying” complaint against Joanna and her chief of staff.

There are similarities in the collection and brewing of the complaints with the Alex Salmond case. I am generally fearless in publishing the truth and defying the law, but in this instance to do so at this moment could have deleterious consequences for those I wish to support, so I am afraid it will be some months before I can tell you more.


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96 thoughts on “Joanna Cherry

  • BuggerLePanda

    Been thinking about this over the week-end and here is my penny ha’penny’s worth.

    Razor sharp intellect, goes straight to the chase and flushes out lies and obfuscation.

    Deconstructs clinically but… but can she do the political opposite and construct political simplicity that will appeal to a broad base in the SNP which fracturing and factioning as we talk?

    Can she reconcile this neo Labour Party, internally politically wise?

    Lots of wee fiefdoms to assuage.

  • Alan Scroggie

    The State with its unlimited funds and personnel working unendingly against the public’s’ interests…

  • Jake Pelmet

    I wouldn’t trust Cherry as far as I could throw her. Her tirade against the nurse she wrongly accused of being a Tory plant makes her too toxic for a serious role.

    • Bibbit

      Ah, Claire Austin, the nurse allegedly who had to attend foodbanks with a basic salary of £22,500. In 2017, Ms Cherry tweeted about this nurse whom she had been wrongly informed was married to a Tory councillor. When the nurse advised her twitter feed, that she was not married at all, Ms Cherry apologised immediately. There was nothing toxic about it.

      But about that nurse…

      She had claimed on a BBC Election Special (hosted by Jackie Bird & Sarah Smith) that she had had to go to a foodbank despite: her daughter attending £11,000 p.a. George Heriot School; 5-star holidays to New York, frequent dinners in expensive restaurants, a house in Edinburgh’s Stockbridge, a convertible car, a horse for her daughter.

      The nurse called our First Minister “wee Jimmy Krankie” and had been invited onto the BBC GE special in 2017, when her (known) question was not asked in an earlier Question Time that week. We assume anyone calling the FM an insulting name popular with Unionist trolls isn’t going to vote SNP. But, just like orange jacketman, Billy Mitchell, the nurse was fast tracked onto the BBC, to ‘gotch yer’ the SNP.

      In Scotland, of course, thanks to people like Ms Cherry, nurses ARE paid more than in the rest of the UK, and under the SNP have always been given the full pay rises recommended by the independent pay board, which hasn’t been the case in England. The SNP also ringfence nurses’ bursaries in Scotland, abolished in Tory England.

      But could the nurse actually get food from foodbanks, as claimed?You can’t just turn up. You must be referred, in writing, by the DWP, and if you have a full-time job (paying £8000 above the then “National Living Wage” of £14,625pa for a 37.5-hour week) you don’t qualify.

      So, yeah, there was toxicity about a nurse but it did not come from Ms Cherry.

      • Alistair Potter

        Hi Bibbit, a very nice summary of the facts. I hope you don’t mind me ‘cribbing and reusing’ this in other settings. I get the feeling this will be one of the ‘arguments’ that will become common currency in the smear campaign.

      • BrianFujisan

        This New Slander of Chief SNP MSP Infuriates me..Alex, then Joanna.. I hope the SNP start regarding these unionist Tactics as an Emergency..Who’s Next.

        Fuck this.. UDI NOW

      • BrianFujisan

        Bibbit..Yes very good Short Summary.

        Like Alistair ..I would like share elsewhere Cheers .

      • Jake Pelmet

        Bibbit, all thetrash you have posted is unsubstantiated rubbish or maybe you have evidence? Nope didn’t think so. Your regurgitation of blog posts and conjecture is ridiculous and just demonstrates how this bully has a hold on our party. The fact she felt she had to apologise speaks volumes. A truly abhorrent bully. I’ll pray that you can free yourself from her grip.

        • Hatuey

          Jake, can you substantiate your claim that Bibbit’s claims are “unsubstantiated rubbish”? Nope, didn’t think so.
          I like this Bibbit fella and would like to read more from him… By comparison, Jake, you’re pretty lightweight.

          • Kempe

            No it’s up to Bibbit to provide evidence to support his quite frankly incredible claims. To begin with how likely is it that a nurse on £22,500 pa would be able to find £11,000 to send her daughter to a public school? I’ve not been able to find any evidence that she even has a daughter. I have been able to discover that she lives in a flat on Arneil Drive where properties are less than half the price than Stockbridge and is said to drive a Smart car.

          • Jake Pelmet

            Hatuey, I don’t need to substantiate anything other than the FACT that this politician apologised to her victim. Presumably you believe Cherry to be insincere and someone who lies at times just to get the press off her back? You are funny, you should probably give up.

    • Brian

      A tirade?
      She repeated some incorrect info going about that said the woman was the wife of a tory Councillor. That is hardly a tirade.
      The fact the nurse wasnt the wife of a tory Councillor doesn’t mean she wasn’t a tory plant, btw

  • Martinned

    I am generally fearless in publishing the truth and defying the law, but in this instance to do so at this moment could have deleterious consequences for those I wish to support

    Well, yes, that’s a foreseeable consequence of publishing delirious (and generally pro-Russian) conspiracy theories.

    • Garth Carthy

      @Martinned
      “Well, yes, that’s a foreseeable consequence of publishing delirious (and generally pro-Russian) conspiracy theories.”

      There can hardly be anything more delirious (and infantile) than the anti-Russian propaganda published by your pals in the mainstream media.
      Oh, I can assure you that I, and I’m sure Craig and others on here, recognise that Russia is not beyond reproach but we in the West have simply no right to pretend to take the moral high ground. You talk about “pro-Russian conspiracy theories” but you need to be aware that our own Western governments are past masters at creating their own conspiracy theories – anti-Russian, anti-Corbyn, anti-anything but the truth…

  • Republicofscotland

    Agreed Joanna Cherry, is in my opinion a boon to the indy movement, a no nonsense straight to the point MP.

    As you say the smear campaign against Cherry is to discredit her, however Cherry has overwhelming support from all indy corners.

    She’d make a good FM, and I’d back her to take us over the indy line more so than Sturgeon.

    Like James Doran, Cherry has had abuse and death threats that the MSM conveniently ignore.

  • Kempe

    ” In May 2017, following a BBC election debate, Cherry was criticised for erroneously briefing to the BBC that a nurse, who had condemned the SNP’s record on NHS pay, was married to a Tory councillor. The nurse subsequently received significant abuse on social media. Cherry later apologised.

    On 8 May 2019 The Daily Telegraph reported she had had her official credit card repeatedly suspended for failing to repay money. On 11 May 2019 The Times reported that Cherry was being investigated by the House of Commons over bullying complaints from four former employees

    She is currently under investigation for homophobia, bullying and transphobia. ”

    She sounds such a lovely person.

      • craig Post author

        Sadly the world has gone mad. Several Jewish activists have been kicked out of the Labour Party for antisemitism. Truth is not important.

        • Jake Pelmet

          “truth is not important”, so you keep saying and demonstrating. Presumably the reason Assange shouldn’t be investigated by the Swedish police over the allegations made by Anna and Sophia.

        • Ort

          Craig, I certainly hope that you are using a reliable triple-antibiotic ointment for the recurring bites on your ankle. 😉

      • Antonym

        More important, she’s a woman. A woman to take on a woman is the safer bet in today’s toxic politics in the West.

    • A C Bruce

      Nearly 400 MPs including nine Cabinet ministers and Jeremy Corbyn had their official credit cards suspended for breaking rules on expenses.

    • J

      BBC, Telegraph, Times. The UK establishment/Murdoch are definitely fair and balanced.

    • A C Bruce

      She mistakenly repeated what others had tweeted about the nurse and, yes, she did apologise for repeating erroneous information. A human who makes mistakes; who would have thought such a thing was possible.

      Yeah, amongst 400 MPs, including Jeremy Corbyn (twice) and some other MP who thought it was a great idea to use an official credit card to pay her Prime subscription (not J Cherry). In actual fact, they can have them suspended for forgetting to include a receipt for their purchases.

      What happened to innocent until proved guilty? That’s the basis of criminal law in all of the UK last time I checked.

      • Kempe

        Dead right; but not guilty, must be a smear campaign, simply because I like her politics is equally perverse.

      • Jake Pelmet

        Mistakenly? She a Jean Freeman googled her and found the wrong woman on Facebook. That happened in the press gallery during the leaders debate. Wouldn’t you prefer a politician who as a modicum of due diligence before bullying a member of the public? Knee JERK!

    • Charles Bostock

      And from what Kempe tells us (10:40, above), a rotten cherry at that.

      • Jo1

        Do behave Charles.

        Smears are, by their very nature, designed to damage a person’s reputation and character. Plus, whisper it, they’re also not always true.

  • MBC

    I like Joanna Cherry, she comes across well, better than Ian Blackford. She is a QC. Just the kind of person they would go after.

    • Jo1

      She seems to be suggesting today it’s some of her own who are coming after her.

    • Charles Bostock

      Martinned

      You’re a foreigner, so you don’t really understand the British hard left-wing mindset.

      Let me help you.

      A “US puppet” is any country which wishes to have friendly, cooperative, win-win and mutually advantageous relations with the US.

  • Dave

    What have the Russians ever done for us? Err defeated Nazi Germany at huge cost! OK but apart from that, what have they ever done???

    In response to the anti-Russian nonsense some deny the accusation they’re a supporter of Putin, just as some felt the need to say they weren’t supporters of Saddam when opposing the Iraq war. If you have to answer the accusation, its understandable to give that reply, but its a forced reply to a dishonest question, because seeking improved relations rather than war is just a good idea and makes you pro-peace rather than a fan of any world leader.

    Indeed this focus on the leader is pretty wicked really, because they demonize a leader to excuse destroying a people, when of course one bullet would remove a leader, but they prefer to destroy the country first before killing the leader with the added wickedness, neo-con doublespeak, of saying they’re doing it to stop the leader treating his own people badly aka murderous R2P.

    But denying you’re a fan of the leader (or not) should be followed by the common sense observation that Russia is a regional rather than super-power and a natural ally, rather than enemy, particularly following Brexit, with their immense raw materials and prospects for growth.

    • Coldish

      @Dave 11.34. Thanks, Dave, good points. Part of the problem with Russia is that Vladimir Putin consistently behaves like a statesman, as does his foreign minister Sergei Lavrov. They put most British and US politicians to shame.
      Saddam Hussein’s big mistake was acting as hit man for the West’s crusade against Iran. Having (fortunately) failed in that campaign he could be written off as a ‘loser’ and was doomed even without the Kuwait fiasco.
      As you point out, it suited the western warmongers to punish the Iraqi people as a means of getting rid of Saddam. Now they are trying the same game in Venezuela.

      • Dave

        Acting as a hit man against Iran and foolishly thinking this sacrifice would be rewarded by the Zionists who will bleed you dry and complain its anti-Semitic when you complain about the loss of blood or as Henry Kissinger said after supplying both sides, Iran and Iraq, with weapons, “we hope they both lose”!

        The US had given Saddam the green light to invade Kuwait, to stop Kuwait over producing and reducing the oil price that Iraq needed kept high to payoff the loans made with US to fight the war, by describing it as an internal Arab matter.

        Except once invaded US demanded Saddam, make a most humiliating retreat, which foolishly Saddam thought a public relations bluff, not realising that the invasion was incited by US as an opportunity to destroy Iraq and the weapons that had been provided to defeat Iran, combined casualties well over a million.

        Fortunately Assad, under Russian advice, had learnt the lesson, and when John Kerry provided, deliberately or not, a window of opportunity for Assad to abolish all chemical weapons, a poor man’s nuclear weapons, he did so quickly and removed the pretext for a US bombing of Syria, on behalf of the donors.

  • Mist001

    Wikileaks. The two notable exceptions about it are leaks about UFOs and leaks from the SNP. Murrell and Sturgeon ran a tight ship once but because she ditched her partys’ core values and chose instead to compete with the Lib Dems in a race to be seen as the UKs number one pro-remain party, her party are turning against her and serious cracks are appearing and it’s entirely Murrell and Sturgeons fault, not the fault of any anti-independence actors.

    I’d love Louis Theroux or David Icke to do an expose on them. What an eye opener that would be.

  • Vivian O'Blivion

    The Scottish sub-sample of the just released Yougov poll makes catastrophic reading from a Unionists perspective.
    Westminster voting intentions: Lab – 15%, Con – 14%, SNP – 41%.
    European voting intentions: Lab – 10%, Con – 6%, SNP – 38%.
    The Farage fan club is polling strongly but the Scottish Greens are at 9% so a bit of tactical voting could bring a seat.
    For Europe, the Tories are 6th place! How the Scottish MSM will spin that as anything other than terminal for Rooth the mooth evades my limited imagination.

  • pour la patrie

    Perhaps the SNP leadership are eager to call indyref2. If that’s the case then they’d better start giving that impression to the people of Scotland.

  • Gary

    This was gleefully reported as was the reporting of the former SNP politician who had allegedly defrauded and Indy fund (I have forgotten her name, senior moment)

    Cherry had been allowed to be interviewed as her view on Brexit coincides with the mainstream and she was instrumental in getting something actually DONE about it. Her head may well have been to far above the parapet for the liking of some…

    • Jo1

      You mean Natalie McGarry? No “allegedly” about it in her case. She entered a guilty plea. And, yes, there was glee in the media but I think I’m sorrier about her dishonest conduct tainting the SNP and her family than I am for her.

      Hers is a strange case altogether. She seems to have begun these thefts even before she was elected as an MP when she was already in serious debt.

      https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-48231048

      It’s not a pretty story. Following the investigation and in the lead up to the court case she married her partner and then became pregnant. She also managed Twitter spats with JK Rowling and SiU which, she claimed, was led by a known HC denier. Both resulted in her issuing apologies and she had to pay an out of court settlement to SiU. So, not the sharpest knife in the box.

      During her court case she sacked her lawyer to represent herself and entered a guilty plea. She then got a new lawyer and tried to withdraw her plea, unsuccessfully. I read a report recently which claimed she faces jail but I doubt it. With a child of under two she may escape that fate.

  • Wikikettle

    Who would have thought that the War criminals, Blair, Cameron and May, would have brought about the break up of their own Kingdom, but its on the cards…can they deploy their two aircraft carriers nearer to home waters ? Sad, decline and fall, all under the leadership of so called patriots……

  • Tommy Ball

    I don’t know whether she has leadership ambitions, but I hope she does. She’s articulate and well-respected, and send genuinely committed to independence, a commitment which I no longer believe the current leadership couple share in anything other than an abstract way.

    Her treatment is part of a worrying pattern of “bus-throwing” by the current leader. People like Michelle Thomson and Alex Salmond have failed to receive the sort of support from the leadership they are entitled to expect. I suspect that were a divisive, ultra-neolib Sturgeonite like Stewart McDonald – who seems to be labouring under the misconception that he is the MP for NATO South instead of Glasgow South – the subject of any allegation, he would find himself undergoing radically different treatment than that experienced by the likes of Thomson, Salmond, Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh, et cetera.I

    The SNP is currently suffering from an outbreak of careeritis.

    I have voted SNP in every election in my adult life in which I have been living in Scotland, but I shall not vote for them again as long as the present leadership is in position.

    • Jo1

      Tommy
      I have to disagree with you on people being “entitled” to expect support. You simply can’t have that.

      All anyone is entitled to is a fair hearing and the right to defend him/her self. The problems arise, obviously, when the media gets involved and everyone decides to pile in.

      I’m not sure why you mention Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh or Michelle Thomson. I don’t think comparisons between either of them and Joanna Cherry are helpful.

      The Scottish Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal recently fined Ahmed-Sheikh for professional misconduct. The SSDT also struck off Thomson’s solicitor for mortgage fraud. The fraud involved thirteen transactions where he was acting on Thomson’s behalf. The people who benefited directly from the fraud were Ms Thomson and others in her company. The funds went to their bank accounts. The solicitor chose to follow their instructions. This is all documented on the SSDT website. Michelle Thomson was not charged in the end, however, those who still insist she was shown to be innocent clearly chose not to read the detail of the SSDT case. They see the failure to charge her as a declaration of her innocence. It was no such thing.

  • Hatuey

    For the first time in about 4 years, I am reading comments on here and elsewhere that I agree with. This is new territory for me. I’m referring very specifically to comments relating to Sturgeon, her weakness as leader and possible replacement.
    If she goes soon, she can leave without causing too much trouble or damage to the cause.
    For the avoidance of doubt, the cause I refer to has nothing to do with baby boxes, mitigating Tory cuts, musical chairs in Holyrood or Westminster, or fighting to deny English people their democratic right to leave the EU.
    Independence is the only cause I care about. But, even if I cared about other causes, I would ignore them and focus on independence; the problems this country faces can only ever be addressed and resolved if we are independent.
    Sturgeon has failed. If she fails again, we are locked into the UK forever.

    • Dave

      Its just a fact of life that as a democratic party progresses and grows it changes and old aims are often abandoned for new.

      If SNP was a genuine independence party, their great leader, Alex Salmond wouldn’t have lost his seat in the early heartland of SNP, but he did because the SNP has forsaken independence for devolution in the EU. I.e. The early SNP was anti-Common Market as was most of the Internationalist Left, due to the adverse impact on self-government and traditional industries.

      Devolution in UK was constitutional incrementalism towards independence, by getting Scots used to running their own affairs and it along with dissatisfaction with Con then Lab, progressed SNP to be the stronger voice for Scotland within UK party.

      The mantra “independence in Europe” was meant to be a tactic, to comfort Scots with the idea that leaving the UK wouldn’t leave them isolated, rather than an actual objective, and it worked, except those who joined as a result believed it.

      But its the fulsome embrace of EU that will fracture the SNP between the Scottish nationalists and EU Social Democrats, who are losing across Europe.

      • kathy

        Membership of the EU is not devolution just to pick up on one false point in your assertions. I guess you are not Scottish or you would be aware of that.

        • Dave

          The European project has mutated/progressed over the years with the political aim of creating a European super-state with its own central government and currency, in which states become provinces. So its devolution otherwise it means Scotland already has “independence in UK”!

          • Hatuey

            Dave, you might want to read the preamble of the Treaty of Rome 1956. ‘Ever closer union’ was always a goal. That’s what we all signed up to.
            In terms of sovereign powers invested or lost as a result of being in the EU, I’d say member states give up about 10 to 15% of their sovereignty. Most of that concerns trade, regulations on trade, and loss of borders and tariff raising powers.
            You might make an issue of fishing and farming but that depends on hoe you feel about those natural resources. Most agree that EU policy on fishing and farming have protected farmers and fish stocks.
            Being a member of the UK for Scotland requires a much greater loss of sovereignty over defence, taxation, foreign policy, large areas of law, politics itself, social security, and virtually everything when you consider that Scotland if it chose to couldn’t raise enough to upgrade a major road route like the A9.
            Meanwhile we are forced to pay for HS2 and London transport and s bunch of other things like tarting up Big Ben. No barriers to spending there, all it takes is a signature and our money is on its way.

          • Dave

            The ultimate aim was set out in the Treaty of Rome, but there have been different stages of integration and increase in membership along the way. Initially Iron & Steel Agreement > Common Market > European Community > EU.

            In terms of sovereign power there are theoretical levels and practical levels based on size. Greece presumably had strong sovereign powers, but was destroyed due to its small size. So in practice Scotland has a bigger voice in UK than in EU, but actual independence involves control of borders and own currency.

            I agree Westminster is broken, but why not remain and reform within UK than within the EU, which is simply too big and diverse to be run as one country and explains the erosion of free speech to suppress the inevitable dissent.

    • Iain Stewart

      “Independence is the only cause I care about.”
      So, apart from throwing Nicola Sturgeon out, what can be done to persuade a majority of our “cowardly and thick” (as you merrily described them recently) compatriots to focus on this objective? You were suggesting Irish inspiration at one point, without going into further details.

      • Hatuey

        Iain, throwing Sturgeon out is based on performance— are we closer to a second referendum now than it seemed we were in June 2016? I’d say we were further away and if you think otherwise, please explain why. If you agree, you agree her strategy has failed.
        Now, I’d love to have a grown up conversation about alternative approaches but I feel that would be a bit silly if I am discussing it with people who think things are going swimmingly.
        My assessment of “cowardly and thick” that you have quoted is out of context. The point I was making was that I was sick of seeing people (usually English) on other forums referring to Scots as being “too canny” to leave the U.K. That I’d say is a consensus view down south, and it is usually premised on the assumption that we are impoverished spongers.
        I was trying to point out that it would be more valid and possibly more accurate to describe us as cowardly and thick on the basis that far from being impoverished, Scotland should be one of the richest countries in the world. It’s understood, for example, that more Oil has been produced in Scottish waters than Norwegian yet they have a 3 trillion dollar oil fund.
        We might agree that dimplomacy isn’t my strong card but I think the above stands.
        On Sinn Fein, I was comparing their approach to that of our SNP. Our representatives seem quite comfortable in Westminster — and are looking to further their careers there — whilst theirs refuse to set foot in the place.
        Could anyone meaningfully argue that having a large number of SNP MPs sitting in Westminster has helped the cause of Scottish independence in any measurable way? Please do so, I’m all ears. In my recollection, we won something like 54 of a possible 56 seats and were rewarded with jeers, insults, and trolling.
        Generally I think a more combative and openly hostile approach to May and Brexit would be more rewarding and productive. Almost half of the people of Scotland with all the propaganda they could muster pitted against them still want independence. I can only assume that with an honest media and less propaganda that number would be much higher.
        Why are we always walking on their rice paper and apologising for wanting out? Independence is normal.

        • Iain Stewart

          Thank you for your reply, Hatuey (and for clearing up your view of the dimness and timidity of the majority of your fellow Scots). I agree that devolution is a barrier to independence, which is of course why it was invented. To participate in making devolution function is therefore quite the opposite of preparing for autonomy.
          I also agree that instead of questioning the legitimacy of the slender English Brexit majority it would be “cannier” to say we’ll follow their example and break the Union on the strength of two or three percent. What colour of banknotes and whether we repatriate our gold in “an armoured train” are all secondary matters for later debate.

          • Hatuey

            Iain, it may be implicit on some level that is beyond me, but I didn’t say devolution was a barrier to independence. I’m not saying it isn’t either. It may be. I don’t know. I just didn’t say it.
            I’ve been quite clear on what I think has resulted in independence stalling — strategy.

          • Iain Stewart

            I may have misinterpreted your insistence that it is time to forget the good management of “pocket money, baby-boxes” and costly Gaelic roadsigns, in order to concentrate on making independence (or at least another referendum) happen as quickly as possible instead. To me that sounded like a clear rejection of devolution as a diversion. The best timing of the next referendum, assuming there should be one, looks therefore more like a question of tactics than strategy. In which case Nicola Sturgeon stepping down now would probably be a major blunder, tending to induce panic in the undecided (already made jumpy enough by the ever-unfolding complexities of leaving the mere confederation of the EU). As another national stereotype would have it, Scots are not renowned for their patience, but I sincerely look forward to learning what peaceful forms the “openly hostile approach” you advocate should take in practice (beyond flyting on blogs) without being counterproductive. CIvil disobedience? A general strike?

          • Hatuey

            Iain, I don’t see why we couldn’t have good governance in the talking shop parliament and press for independence at the same time. I guess that’s where I got confused by your devolution v independence assumption. Since these aren’t mutually exclusive, your assumption here is wrong. Sorry.
            I’m not sure you are quite ready to discuss alternative strategies just yet, given that you think Sturgeon is doing well enough to stay in the job. It’s tragic that people like you will only come to realise her strategy is flawed when it’s too late.
            That all said, this is a tricky situation. I acknowledge that she or whoever is in that job is going to find it tough to get where we want to go. All sorts of forces are positioned to inhibit the sort of progress we want.
            The thing that perturbs me most is the way Sturgeon goes on the defensive when she is “accused” of wanting independence. It’s as if she is embarrassed by the subject. I’ve heard credible people argue that she is really only interested in further devolution, and I don’t rule that out, given the way she has handled things. If that’s true, she’s failed here as well though.
            I’m against anything that resembles UDI. I think without a clear majority supporting independence, let’s say 60%, UDI is tantamount to a coup.
            Taking account of the lies and propaganda that are required to keep support for independence at current levels, though, it would be possible to achieve a surge in support and break through the 60% barrier. Sturgeon put a lot of emphasis on doing this and she has failed here too.
            Public opinion is key. It can be changed or manipulated and in this key area the Sturgeon administrations have been terrible. If I was to seriously discuss a more ambitious or aggressive approach to Brexit and independence, it would hinge on doing things very differently in this area.
            Can we all finally agree that being passive and trying to win people over with baby boxes and other gimmicks has failed? Can we also agree that devoting yourself to looking responsible has failed?
            Better strategies, which I’ve alluded to in other comments, are staring us right in the face.

          • Iain Stewart

            (People like me? Have we met?) The allusions to better strategies must have been too subtle for my dim wits to pick up (unless it was the boycotting of Westminster) but I deduce that civil disobedience and a general strike aren’t amongst them (which would have been too much to hope for, remembering the docile reception the poll-tax experiment received: not even a crack in the plate glass of Jenners). I note also that devo-max (or another form of increased home rule) must also be kept off the next referendum card (which tends to support the idea that devolution is opposed to independence. Sorry).

  • Jo1

    “At #PMQs Peter Bone tells @theresa_may that “loyal” Tories want her to resign. ? I’ll say this much for the Conservatives – at least they do their back stabbing in public #BrexitShambles”

    This is a tweet from Joanna Cherry. A report about it in the Hootsman claims she didn’t attend the Party Group Meeting at Westminster this week either.

    I’m wondering if there’s some jealousy going on. Her profile has certainly been raised in the Commons during the many Brexit debates.

  • Graham Patterson

    The britnats are experts at divide and rule, so although I wouldn’t completely dismiss conjecture of an inside job, I would think more likely the former making it look such ! Most of us had J C down as the next person they’d attack as she’s a threat and they cannot handle her !

  • Clydebuilt

    I have a positive view of Cherry’s abilities. BUT she is continuing to go public about political backstabbing. Re. Thursday’s National “Cherry launches fresh attack over political ‘backstabbing’ she tweeted ” . . . . At least they ( the Tories) do their backstabbing in public”

    There’s an election coming up, we’re constantly told the public don’t like infighting in parties.
    The SNP are laudded for their internal discipline. Cherry’s breaking ranks at an important time when the signs are good for the SNP. The Unionist establishment are despterate to undermine the party before the Euro elections, to stop momentum building.
    What the fuck is Cherry playing at, who’s side is she on!

    • Jo1

      Clydebuilt
      You’re forgetting she came under attack first after all these allegations hit the media.

    • Hatuey

      Clydebuilt, maybe she knows something that you/we don’t. There are always things you don’t know you don’t know in these situations. There are also things we can’t discuss right now.
      Incidentally, if Brexit is cancelled after a “people’s vote”, which looks highly possible right now, indyref2 will be magically transformed into a snowflake and Britain a globally warmed hell.

  • Vivian O'Blivion

    New European Election polling from Yougov. Scottish (weighted) sub-sample (619) large enough to be meaningful. Labour and Tories are battling it out for sixth place.
    SNP 39%, Farage fan club 20%, Lib dems 13%, Greens 10%, Tories 7% and Labour 6%.
    That is existentially threatening for Scottish Labour as a party never mind Ricky Leotard as its Branch Manager.

    For the first time in my puff I will be casting my ballot for Scottish Greens. Largely in protest at the SNP leadership’s lack of fight and their inability to call the BBC out as a propaganda wing of the British state.

    • Clydebuilt

      Voting for the (Scottish?) Greens thats what the Labour supporting Sunday Mirror are advocating.

      The Yooniverse are caking it. They have given up on the Unionist parties to stop whats looking like a great result for the SNP. All thats left for them is to split the independence vote.

      Those who are paid to keep Scotland on it’s knees in the Union are advocating a vote for the Greens.

      • Vivian O'Blivion

        Under D’Hondt, for the numbers above, the SNP get 3 seats, Farage fan club 2 seats and the Lib dems 1 seat.
        If sufficient Nationalist voters switch to the Scottish Greens to give them say 16% (leaving the SNP with 33% of the vote) the SNP still get 3 seats but the Greens get one. The Farage fan club are reduced to one seat so a win all round.

        • Hatuey

          Yes, Vivian, the d’hondt system we have in Holyrood definitely rewards Indy if we vote snp on the constituency side and green on the list side. I’m surprised nobody has looked at what support for independence in Holyrood might sit at right now had more independence supporters done that in the last Scottish election.
          Of course, influential people were advocating against doing that. No sense crying over spilled milk under the bridge, I suppose, but, surely, lesson learned.

  • Willie

    A lot of anti messages being blogged on this one Craig.

    But you are bang on the money. The establishment attacks those they fear most.

    Alex Salmond nearly took us to independence and it was only by the not to inconsiderable dark forces of the establishment that the vote was turned.

    The tried and tested sex smear scandal is thus the easy way to stop the man the establishment fear.

    And it is the same with Joanna Cherry as the establishment media assail her for alleged bullying.

    She too is feared as a individual who could take us across the line .

    So let us be clear how the establishment works – and yes the sex allegations against Assange resurect themselves, as another example.

    The SNP, indeed an SNP with a leader with the ability, dynamism, and commitment of a Salmond or a Cherry is what the establishment fear.

    So smear the SNP when you can, but special reputational smear for the special ones.

    Come next Thursday therefore, there is I believe only one vote that can send a message for Scotland.

    Yes the establishment will again try to manipulate it through an influx of postal for the Tories.

    So let us neutralise this by lending our vote to Scotland and the SNP.

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